Castle Roads

Although little used today, except by pleasure boats, Castle Harbour was once an important anchorage,[1] and an access route used by ships to reach the still important St. George's Harbour.

The infilling of waterways between St. David's Island and Long Bird Island in the 1940s, as well as the Causeway joining the contiguous landmass so created (which the causeway predates) means only small boats can pass between the two Harbours, today.

[2] It was once common to use the term roads in reference to a waterway.

There is a string of islands and rocks across the South mouth of Castle Harbour, and Castle Roads is the largest channel through these, and the only one suitable as a channel for larger vessels.

[3] Together with St. George's Town, on neighbouring St. George's Harbour, and other nearby 17th-century fortifications, the Castle Islands fortifications are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Location of Castle Roads
Detail from a 19th-century map